News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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The Oregon Department of Forestry needs more and consistent funding to fight wildfires. That much was clear following the 2020 Labor Day fires that burned nearly 850,000 acres of forests and became the state’s most expensive disaster in history. But lawmakers are split on how to pay for it. Two Democratic senators recently unveiled competing proposals to address long-term wildfire funding. Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, wants a tax on the value of industrial timber harvests to pay for protection that he says d... Full story
Have you ever considered running for a local leadership position, but haven’t yet taken the plunge? Do you care deeply about your community, but aren’t sure how to give back? Are you interested in learning more about how your local government works? If so, a new initiative from the City of Sisters might be for you. This spring, the City is partnering with Citizens4Community to launch the Sisters Civic Leadership Academy. The academy is a civic leadership training model, designed to build a broader, stronger pool of tal... Full story
It's been a rough couple of weeks with the snow, rain on snow, and icing cycles that have befallen Sisters Country folk needing to get about. Getting to work, school, the grocery store, or gas station isn't an option for most. Nor is walking the dog. Lt. Chad Davis who heads the Sisters Sheriff's Office told The Nugget that he's been surprised by the few numbers of slip and fall accidents his team has encountered given the persistent conditions. But many have fallen without... Full story
While every drop off water and every inch of snow is critical for our summer needs, recent snows and rain have barely budged the critical SWE (snow water equivalent) readings at the Three Creeks Meadow station which Saturday stood at 46%. On Saturday, the readings were low. Sitting at 5,690 feet, the observed snowpack was 18 inches, down three inches in the preceding 24 hours, as unseasonably warm La Niña weather returned. Temperatures rose to the high 50s over the weekend.... Full story
Traffic-calming devices will be installed on West McKinney Butte Road between North Trinity Way and the new Sisters Elementary School. Cities employ a number of barriers to reduce speed: speed bumps; speed humps (a wider, smoother contour, lower-profile bump); and speed tables. Speed humps are parabolic vertical traffic calming devices intended to slow traffic speeds on low-volume, low-speed roads. Speed humps are three to four inches high and 12 to 14 feet wide, with a ramp... Full story
Drivers leaving and entering Sisters Friday afternoon at the east gateway were momentarily stunned to see some 200 feet of art removed from the fence at the Sisters Elementary School. The fence stands in the way of the new Locust Street roundabout scheduled to start construction this spring. There was no way the community was going to just allow the art to be dismantled with no future. Sisters Folk Festival (SFF) in keeping with their long standing commitment to Sisters... Full story
The snow that dumped on Sisters Country ranging from 18 to 30-plus inches was challenging enough, especially as it was accompanied by bitter cold and hazardous winds. When the snow subsided, weather related problems were not abated. In some cases they got worse. Most tragically two children, including an infant, were among the five people killed in a crash on Highway 97 near Crescent last Wednesday, January 17, after colliding with a semi-truck. Another child was injured. The... Full story
Now that the four new roundabouts on Highway 20 between Sisters and Bend have been completed and are in full use, numerous regular users tell of their frustration experienced when drivers enter and exit the dual lane circles. "Yee gads!," exclaims Todd Robbins who lives in Sisters and works in Bend, making the drive at least five times a week. "It's not that hard. These people need to stay off the road if they can't manage it." Les Collins from Sisters is a bit more forgiving... Full story
Following a lengthy search process, Reverend Liliana Stahlberg has been called to fill the position of Rector at the Episcopal Church of The Transfiguration in Sisters. She will begin her new ministry as pastor to the congregation on February 1. Transfiguration is a somewhat unique configuration of two separate worship styles under one authority. The 8:30 a.m. service is comprised of mainline Protestants who plan and lead the service. The 10:15 a.m. worshippers are... Full story
In April of 2022, the City of Sisters hired its first ever code compliance officer whose job is fairly straight forward - obtain compliance of the municipal and development codes. This includes complaints of properties with overgrown vegetation or having an accumulation of debris, garbage, and junk. Other areas of concentration include compliance with Dark Skies standards, noise, dust, dangerous trees, weeds and signage. Complaints of animal nuisances, noise, illegal parking,... Full story
If you like local history, sooner or later you may take a deep dive. You might end up wondering about the sandy earth at your feet or the age of the jagged peaks in the evening skyline. Maybe you watched too many dinosaur movies over the holidays and started imagining what Sisters was like millions of years ago. The origin stories of the mountains and landscapes of Sisters fill geology books. They involve plates in the earth and under the sea, subduction zones, millions of... Full story
The City of Sisters is getting work underway to figure out how to accommodate future growth. The City has put out a request for proposal (RFP) seeking a professional consulting firm with experience in Oregon comprehensive land use planning to coordinate and lead the City’s proposed Urban Growth Boundary Amendment (UGB Amendment). Population projections from Portland State University say that the population inside the city limits will hit 7,108 in 2043 - more than double the current population of 3,475. Sisters currently d... Full story
Winter came hard and fast this year. All over Sisters, folks bundled up and fired up their snow blowers - those who have them - while most of us relied on the centuries old method of shoveling by hand; a risk for many health experts warn Click here to see related story. Snow blower sales are expected to grow at an annual rate of 6.74 percent in the U.S. and Canada from $639 million in 2021 to $935 million in 2027. More than one million of the snow tamers are sold each year.... Full story
Old man winter came late this year, but when he arrived he packed a wallop on Sisters Country. At Black Butte Ranch, there was two feet on the ground by noon on Friday. Throughout the weekend temperatures plummeted and the white stuff kept piling up. For many, like skiers and snow boarders, the long wait for snow materialized and Ski Hoodoo opened last Wednesday to excited crowds. Although only two of four lifts operated as the job of grooming trails and readying all the... Full story
Like it or not, clearing your sidewalks of snow is the law. It’s probably better to think of it as common courtesy. The City puts it this way: “Many of our neighbors rely on a clear sidewalk to get to and from work or school, or to access the school bus. When a sidewalk has not been cleared of snow and/or ice, pedestrians may be forced to walk in the road, causing a dangerous situation for both the pedestrian and the driver of a vehicle.” City code requires every property owner or occupant to maintain the adjacent sidew... Full story
The City of Sisters has established an affordable housing program to offer eligible agencies and private developers grant and/or loan funds for purposes of constructing and offering affordable housing to low-and moderate-income persons in the City. The applicant must be a housing authority, a qualified nonprofit organization that constructs affordable housing, or a for-profit developer of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households. The applicant must demonstrate compliance with all eligibility requirements... Full story
In the five years between 2017 and 2021, 721 elk and mule deer were killed in collisions with vehicles on the Highway 20 Bend to Suttle Lake corridor. The heaviest concentration was east of Sisters, and in the Black Butte Ranch stretch there were higher numbers. Numbers for 2022 and 2023 are not yet available. The removal of dead animals on state roadways is undertaken by Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). "ODOT is responsible for removing road hazards on state... Full story
It was 0 degrees Fahrenheit Friday night, -5 at 8 p.m. Saturday, and -3 Sunday morning before the skies cleared after the biggest snow storm to hit Sisters in several years. Concern started rising at the start of the week as City staff looked at the forecast, and worried that some families in Sisters could be at grave risk, especially the homeless living in the nearby woods. On Wednesday night, at its regularly scheduled meeting, the Sisters City Council approved a... Full story
Multiple women made statements at the sentencing hearing for Michael Boyle on Tuesday, January 9, recounting the lasting impact on their lives of the acts to which he pleaded guilty via Alford plea last month. One victim testified in person, while the others had their statements read into the record by a Deputy District Attorney. “Mike Boyle is a predator and must be held accountable,” one of the victims stated, while another characterized him as “an opportunist and an extre... Full story
Sisters residents and visitors alike value the ability to enjoy the night sky — and the City of Sisters has passed new dark skies code language to promote that ability. Sisters City Council chambers burst into spontaneous applause as Council voted unanimously to approve amendments to the Sisters Development Code that have long been in the works. City planning staff noted that City code around dark skies was adopted in 2010. “Since the adoption, there have been many cha... Full story
The snow that fell in Sisters Country much of last week causing some havoc and disruption was not a record - not even close - but it was nonetheless the main topic of conversation. What made it the talk of the town were the winds and temperatures that tagged along. Sustained winds in the 20 mph range kept some folks up at night and consistent gusts in the 30s rattled windows and nerves. The wind brought down a 30-plus foot ponderosa pine Friday on Steve Allely's property in th... Full story
Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) has alerted The Nugget of abuse to several trails within their system by one or more motor bikers. They provided photo evidence of the damage. There is no way of knowing if this was wanton disregard for the rules or carelessness. Either way the injury to the trailbed will require hours of volunteer work to repair. “Nearly two-hundred STA trail volunteers and trail adopters work tirelessly throughout the entire year to steward nearly 200 miles o... Full story
Concerned citizens routinely notify the Sisters Ranger District of abandoned vehicles in the woods around town. Just as routinely, the Forest Service begins the somewhat arduous task of removing them. In 2023 there were 25 cases in all, including a trailer at the rodeo grounds, a Ford Ranger on Forest Road 15, a motorhome near the high school, three RV trailers at 970/4606, five vehicles in all at Eagle Rock Road, two burned out RVs on Road 100 (the spur road), and the list go... Full story
Almost everybody in town has or had or knows someone who has or had “the crud.” Workers are out — as are some masks. Stores are having a run on tissues and Tylenol. Home remedies and self-isolation may be keeping reported numbers low in spite of people hacking and coughing their way through life in Sisters Country. St. Charles Health System spokesperson Alandra Johnson said, “We are starting to see an increase in COVID-19 statewide but that has not yet reached Central Oregon... Full story
A Prineville resident is facing charges related to the trafficking of controlled substances after the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team executed a roadside search warrant just outside Sisters last weekend. Law enforcement reports that on January 6, around 9 a.m., the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team concluded a long-term investigation and surveillance operation with the apprehension of Travis Ingram, 35, from Prineville. According to Sergeant Kent Vander Kamp, Ingram... Full story
